Funding Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Museum and Library Services Act Introduced

By Kathi Kromer | October 1, 2018

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) led the Senate version of the bill (S. 3530) with 11 cosponsors: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Angus King (I-Maine), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.). Rep. Raúl Grijalva … Continue reading Museum and Library Services Act Introduced →

Federal Budget Includes Big Gains for Libraries

By Loida Garcia-Febo | September 28, 2018

When the new fiscal year begins on October 1, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will have an additional $2 million to improve administration of library state-formula grant programs and research. Grants funded through the Library Services and Technology Act will continue to receive level funding, enabling libraries to continue offering a range … Continue reading Federal Budget Includes Big Gains for Libraries →

Subcommittee Calls for Library Funding Increases

By Kevin Maher | September 14, 2018

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): $2 million increase Title IV-Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act: $70 million increase National Library of Medicine: $13 million increase Career and technical education state grants: $70 million increase Adult education state grants: $25 million increase Head Start: $200 million increase Level funding was provided for … Continue reading Subcommittee Calls for Library Funding Increases →

Complete Count Committees bring local stakeholders together to educate their community on the importance of the census. Image: Kentucky Youth Advocates

Getting Ready for the 2020 Census

By Gavin Baker and Larra Clark | September 11, 2018

CCCs provide information to community members about the Census. State, local, or tribal governments or community-based organizations form the committees and invite public officials and community leaders to participate. Most CCCs include representatives from a broad range of industries and organizations because so many segments of a community have a stake in ensuring a fair, … Continue reading Getting Ready for the 2020 Census →

As part of its DIY makeover, Francis W. Parker School in Chicago added beanbag chairs to its library. Photo: Francis W. Parker School

Design on the Cheap

By Phil Morehart | September 4, 2018

Start with what you have The first step in any design project, big or small, is intense self-reflection. Brian Lee, architect and design partner at Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, has designed libraries around the world, including the award-winning Chinatown branch of Chicago Public Library (CPL), which opened in 2015. He stresses the importance of research … Continue reading Design on the Cheap →

2020 Census (Image: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries)

ALA Urges Commerce Department to Reject Census Citizenship Question

By Gavin Baker and Larra Clark | August 9, 2018

The comments submitted by the coalition elaborate on the harm that would result from adding such a question to the 2020 Census, including diminished data accuracy, an increased burden of information collection, and an added cost to taxpayers. The submission also points to the US Census Bureau’s own January 19 technical review, in which Associate … Continue reading ALA Urges Commerce Department to Reject Census Citizenship Question →

Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries

March 23, 2018

“We are thrilled that Congress has passed an FY2018 omnibus spending bill today that includes significant federal funding increases for our nation’s libraries! “One year ago, the White House proposed eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and slashed millions of dollars in federal funding for libraries. Twelve months and tireless advocacy efforts … Continue reading Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries →

2017 Year in Review

By the editors of American Libraries | January 2, 2018

Saving Federal Funding Thanks to extensive grassroots efforts by ALA members, in September the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an increase of $4 million in funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, all of which would go to the formula-based Grants to States program. The bill also included increased funding in FY2018 for a … Continue reading 2017 Year in Review →

Anonymous Donor to Match ALA Annual Fund Contributions

November 14, 2017

The match caps at $10,000 total per ALA unit, and $100,000 overall. Donors can participate by giving online or sending a check to ALA, Attn: Development Office, 50 East Huron St., Chicago, Illinois, 60611. ALA is asking its members, library advocates, and the public to consider making a gift to help support its efforts to … Continue reading Anonymous Donor to Match ALA Annual Fund Contributions →

Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS

By Jim Neal | September 20, 2017

I am pleased to report that on September 14, the full House of Representatives voted as part of a large spending package (H.R. 3354) not to make any cuts in federal funding for IMLS. This includes all funding for IMLS programs under the Library Services and Technology Act, and for the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to … Continue reading Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS →

Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding

May 17, 2017

In a May 17 statement, ALA President Julie B. Todaro praised CCLI, saying, “It’s thrilling to see such significant companies and associations across so many industries come together to fight alongside ALA and librarians for federal library funding.” She added that “libraries mean business,” and that working with CCLI can help ensure “that law- and policymakers fully … Continue reading Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding →

It’s Time to Make That Call

By Keith Michael Fiels | May 1, 2017

If no one does anything, this could actually happen. Only a band of brave individuals stands between us and this scenario becoming a reality. Who are these heroes? They are us. When speaking at chapters around the country, I often ask attendees to raise their hands if they have ever had their US representative or … Continue reading It’s Time to Make That Call →

Latest Library Links

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Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a bestselling children’s book featuring 100 stories of prominent women, was published in Russia this year—but with one story missing. The story about Coy Mathis, an 11-year-old transgender girl from the US who won a 2013 lawsuit against her school to allow her to use the girl’s bathroom, was omitted. The Russian publisher, Bombora, excised the story due to a 2013 ban on spreading “propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations” to minors. Under the current laws, publishers can either remove LGBT content from books aimed at children and teenagers, or mark them as appropriate for audiences over 18.

Thomson Reuters Foundation News, Nov. 6
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3D printing is the way of the future, and in some cases it can even save lives. Northern Arizona University uses the technology to help injured animals. When Daisy, a 75-pound tortoise, was left with two holes in her shell after being hit by a car, doctors at Canyon Pet Hospital teamed up with the Maker Lab at Cline Library to print implants for Daisy’s shell with its 3D printer. Kathleen Schmand, library director of development and communication, said she never imagined the lab being used for something like this, but now that it has and it’s been this successful, she knows they will be able to help other injured animals.

KSAZ-TV, Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 12
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Roger C. Schonfeld writes: “The Digital Public Library of America last week laid off six members of its small staff. Over the weekend, DPLA Executive Director John Bracken, in a talk at the LITA Forum, provided an overview of DPLA’s vision, which appears to include a change in strategic direction. The organization now appears to be pivoting more towards ebook distribution systems. It is also clearly facing some difficulties right now. As is often the case with an organization in the process of a substantial redirection, there is too little information for outsiders to offer a conclusive interpretation of events.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Nov. 13
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Meredith Farkas writes: “A core value of librarianship is open and equal access to the library for all members of our communities. User experience research has taught us that access means more than just letting anyone into our spaces; it requires creating spaces that make people feel like they belong. Another core value is intellectual freedom, and we have a long and proud history of supporting it in the face of censorship. But what if a perspective repudiates the dignity and worth of a group of our patrons? What if a hate group discusses that perspective in your library’s meeting room?”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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When a university cuts majors, programs, or even an entire school, what happens to its library? The obvious answer: Nothing good. As universities across the country trim offerings in hopes of addressing budget deficits, academic libraries must attempt to maintain services, even as it becomes more and more difficult to fulfill their missions. The University of Wisconsin–Superior, which has a reported budget deficit of $2.5 million, has suspended 40 programs, including the library science minor, since 2014. The library budget has seen large cuts as well.

American Libraries Trend, Nov./Dec.
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Doug Johnson writes: “A recent conversation about favorite books we owned as a kid led me to purchase copies of Alfred Hitchcock’s Haunted Houseful and Ghostly Gallery short story collections. I’m not quite sure when or why I stopped being a regular reader of short works of fiction. If memory serves, I enjoyed the assigned stories in my English classes as a student and I loved teaching the short story as an English teacher. Authors tend to be more careful when writing in the shorter form. Each word needs to count. Characters are concisely developed, scenery is selective, plots tend to stay on course. The work feels more crafted.”

The Blue Skunk Blog, Nov. 13
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David Lee King writes: “Okay, my boss isn’t really a robot. But as smart machines, artificial intelligence, and big data continue to grow and mature, it’s very possible that some performance-based jobs will be measured by a machine instead of a human. Hence—a robo-boss. I know, that sounds sorta weird. But guess what? Some people already have robot bosses. Here are some examples.”

David Lee King, Nov. 13

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